Darin St. George: Life's a beach

We all know how harrowing an experience it can be heading out into the public eye in your teensiest bikini or swimsuit for the first time of the year.

Darin St. George

Mother Nature certainly didn't waste any time turning spring to summer, now did she?

It seems as though the weather has found its permanent "hazy, hot and humid with chance of thunderstorms" for the rest of the season quite quickly, as well. Well, we were given a real gift this past Sunday when the thunderstorms held off and I found myself at a local beach with my wife and kids for the day.

We all know how harrowing an experience it can be heading out into the public eye in your teensiest bikini or swimsuit for the first time of the year. When you strut your stuff in front of your neighbors and the gloves come off, don't forget that Trainer X may be sunning himself on the blanket next to you and find his next column.

What I would like to do today is give you some of Trainer X's own opinions regarding why people show up at the beach looking less than their best, and what you can do if you've already made some of these tragic errors in judgment.

Summer starts in June, right? On the calendar, yes; on your waistline, no. Your metabolism is not a switch that you turn on as if it were a motor from the 21st Century Motor Company.

If you have a significant amount of weight to lose (25 pounds or more), then it will take weeks or perhaps months to kick your act into high gear. Next year, start in January and I am not kidding.

This year, if you've made the mistake but want to right the wrong before summer's end, you must get extreme and eliminate all alcohol, breads, desserts and start performing 45 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise each morning before you do anything. See how starting summer in January isn't so crazy?

You only see yourself with one set of eyes. People selling their house always think it is a castle where others see a nice home; this too is how your perceptions distort regarding your own physique. Have a trainer or personal fitness coach assess your physique and give you an objective perspective regarding just how much potential you have (this is a kind way of saying how much fat you need to lose).

If you haven't had a clear perspective of your fitness abilities, consider setting short-, medium- and long-term goals for next year. This summer will be a bitter pill to swallow, but letting your ego think for you can bring worse results than a spare tire at the seashore.

Today is a gift, so open it up. It is all I know for sure; if you don't live today as if it were your last, you are going to continue showing up bigger and bigger each year until someone pushes you back into the ocean or lodges a golf ball in your blow hole. Live each day full and fast by exercising and eating clean so that next year when we meet on the sand, I will hardly recognize you!

Darin St. George is a personal fitness coach at Gold's Gym in Natick, Mass. Visit his Web site at www.myspace.com/darinstgeorge.